Packing machine



B. R. STETSON Dec. 26, 1933.

PACKING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931 fm eri 02 file/lumen 16 JTErJo/v ATTORNEY-s" pull the bag up around the packing tube and then grasp the bag mouth walls in such a way as to take up the slack therein and thereby pull the walls of the bag mouth into reasonably tight contact with the periphery of the filling tube. When the bag is thus held upon the filling tube and the packing operationtakes place, the pulverized material cannot spout or boil out of the .topfof the bag, and the free air entrained with the material will then be forced through the walls of the bag, which walls are porous to a considerable degree; The grasping of the bag top walls must neces-,

sarily be done with sufficient force to draw the bag walls into tight contact with the periphery of the filling tube and oftenresults inthe formation of numerous Very pronounced wrinkles in the bag mouth walls. These wrinkles are objection,- able, because they interfere withthe subsequent closing of the bag mouth walls particularly, when the bag tops are closed and sealed-inthe manner disclosed'in the pending applications of Daniel Belcher, Serial No. 151,702, filed May 12, 1930, and Serial No. 514,540, filed February 9, 1931. It is therefore desirable that means be provided whereby this objectionable feature of wrinkling the walls of the bag mouth, during the filling operation of the bag, may be dispensed with.

The novel attachment featured inthis invention is particularly applicable for use in connecchine here'shown is of ordinary construction, and

comprises a platform 4 which usually is mounted ,for-vertical movement by suitable means, not

shown.- A packing auger 5 is provided within the filling tube'3 and is driven by means of a shaft 6 having an operative connection with the driving mechanism of the packer,- not shown. Thetubular member. or sleeve 2 has a bore '7 adapted to receive the filling tube 3 of the packing machine, and the diameter of this bore is such as 'to snugly fit said tube. An annular reinforcing flange 8 may be provided at the upper end ofthe member 2 having a suitable 'setscrew 9 mounted therein, whereby the tubular member 2 may be rigidly secured to the tube 3. In some instances, the sleeve may be retained upon the tube by friction. The lower end portion 11 of the tubular member 2 is tapered, as shownin Figures 1 and 2, to facilitate initially slipping the empty bag over said member, and the outside diameter thereof is slightly less than the diameter of the bag, when the latter is unfolded or extended, so that the bag may readily'be slipped 7 onto the tube.

To prevent the powdered material from spouting from the top of thebag during the filling operation, means are provided whereby the joint between the bag top walls and the periphery of the tubular member 2 may be substantially sealed. Such means are shown in Figures 2, 3, and gand comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending flutes or grooves 12-12 and 13-13, formed in the periphery of the tubular member 2. The grooves 12-12 are preferably formed as best shown in Figure 3, while the grooves 13-13 are made relatively wider for the purpose of facilitating manually slipping the empty bag over the tubular member. By widening the grooves 13-13,

as indicated at 14, thethumbs-of the operators handawhen he grasps the upper edge of the bag shown in Figure 4, whereby the thumb and fingers of one hand will press the bag top walls into the front groove 12 and right hand groove 13 and, at the same time, the thumb and fingers of the left'hand will press portions of the bag top walls into the grooves 13 and 12, respectively, at the ,opposite side of .the sleeve,'thereby substantially taking ,up all slack in the bag top walls, and forcing said .walls into tight contact with the periphcry of the tubular member 2. When the bag is thus supported upon the filling tube of the pack ing machine, the material cannot spout from the bag top, andthe materialwill also bepacked into the bag substantially in the center thereof so that it will be uniformly packed in the entire bodyof the bag clear up to the levelof the material therein, which will be readily understoo'd 'by"reference to Figure 1. During the filling operation,'the platform twill be gradually. forced downwardly by the bag in'the usual manner, because ofthematerial being packed firmly into the bag. The operator will retain his orher grasp uponthe bag top .walls until the bag is filled and the operating mechanism of the packer is actuated to stop the filling operation g The invention herein disclosed is very simple and inexpensive and may be manufactured-'ata' very small cost. By its use in connection with a packing machine, the material will be packed uniformly into the bag and the upperwall portions of the bag will not be damaged or wrinkled so that when the bag is subsequently sealed, a smooth and neat appearing closure may be formed. The sleeve :is,'.of course-furnished .in different sizes .corresponding to the various sizes of filling tubes used on'packing machines; They are preferably made'of cast metal, and each is bored'to fit the to be inserted'intothe mouth of a bag and through which material may be packedintothe bag, said tube having apair of oppositely .disposed,longitudinally extending grooves-in its periphery,.gand' a second pair of oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending groovesin the periphery of said tubes arranged .in substantially .right angularirelation to said first mentioned pair of grooves, and all of said grooves being shaped toreceive the .finger's of an operator, whereby when a bag is fitted over said tube, the operator may press the walls of the bag top into the bottoms of said grooves-to thereby means therein for packing pulverized material into the bag, said tube havinga pair of oppositely disposed, longitudinally.extending groovesin its periphery, and a secondpairof oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending grooves in theperiphery of said tube arranged in. substantially right anan operator may seal the joint between the periphery of the tube and the bag walls by pressing portions of the walls of the bag into'the grooves with his thumb and fingers to thereby prevent spouting of the material from the bag top during the filling operation. i

BRADFORD R. STETSON; 

